fatties in Australia or NZ compare to America

[look 171]

The Only If They Knew thread got me thinking about Australians. Are they as big (fat) as Americans (think Wall Mart)? I have never been so I don't know. In Europe, they were not nearly as big. But then again, we were only there for a little over a month touring mostly Western Europe. Asia, Africa, and the middle East are not too bad. Most of these people have the same genes from European ancestors in both Australia, and America. I know there are many factors including food and lack of exercise, so how about telling me about Australia or NZ? Im talking in General, not the cuties that hang out at the beach with butt floss between their tight asses.

Oh, I gotta lose about 15 lbs. of fat ass

[nzporsche944s2]

We are not exempt from obesity down here in NZ. I think regardless of genes it comes down to lifestyle. We are a (relatively) sparsley populated country with plenty of wide open spaces to get out and be active but if you choose not to and would prefer to eat chocolate in front of the tv then it doesn't really matter what genes you have.

If the energy going in your mouth is greater than the energy being expended then you are going to end up storing that energy somehow.

Our obesity statistics here are not helped by our ethnic minorities in particular the Polynesians who tend to store a lot of that excess energy when exposed to junk food...

[sc_rufctr]

Lots of fat people in Aus. Percentage wise... We're about the same as the US.

Big Kev and his mum from the current "Biggest Looser" series.

[Bill Douglas]

You've got me worried Peter. Us Kiwis are fatter than you guys and you say Aus is the same as the US.

[LakeCleElum]

Been to AU 3 times. Spent 5 weeks there last fall.......My observations are a far less percentage of over-weight compared to the US......Seems about the same a Europe to me; maybe a few more.

Don't know who this can be from the very common beer drinking lifestyle? Maybe it's the sports and active live they live?

[aigel]

US is ahead of AU

BBC NEWS | Health | Obesity: in statistics


They may have caught up since these stats were collected, but the US has pulled ahead pretty strongly too.

G

[look 171]

I am surprise to see Canada having lower percentage then the US. I wonder why the UK has a higher percentage then the rest of Western Europe. Saudi?

[aigel]

The UK was the first European country to pick up the bad diet from the US. Plus, they never had a good diet to start with.

In Saudi Arabia it is the women mainly - they don't move (locked up at home) and often don't work, so the fridge is a great friend.

G

[Mothy]

We have our fair share of fatties, but as someone who has travelled a lot overseas and spent a reasonable amount of time in UK and USA for work I would say that the graph above is probably right - average is less than USA and UK.

As a nation we are pretty active - sports mad some say. And our average portion served for meals is a lot smaller.

Tim

[StevoRocket]

Results published in the UK

Fattest countries in the world revealed: Extraordinary graphic charts the average body mass index of men and women in every country (with some surprising results) | Mail Online

[exc911ence]

Originally Posted by look 171

I am surprise to see Canada having lower percentage then the US. I wonder why the UK has a higher percentage then the rest of Western Europe. Saudi?

We burn a lot of calories shovelling snow six months a year.

[BeyGon]

When does it snow in Florida?

[kach22i]

Eat up.

The Australian Paradox
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and Dr Alan Barclay
Fructose

Fructose consumption
Based on the most recent national dietary intake surveys, 95% of all people living in the USA over 19 years of age consume less than 100 grams (24 teaspoons) a day from all foods and drinks, and 95% of Australian adults (25-64 years of age) consume less than 60 grams (14 teaspoons) of total fructose a day from all sources. The average amount of fructose consumed per person has been increasing in the USA since the 1970’s, primarily through the use of HFCS, and appears to parallel the increase in overweight/obesity in that nation leading some to believe it is one of the major causes. In Australia, however, Australian Bureau of Statistics apparent consumption data indicate sugar consumption peaked just after World War 2 (54 kg per person per year) and reached its lowest point in 1998–1999 (38 kg per person per year). However, rates of overweight/obesity nearly doubled from 37% in the 1980s to 60% in 2000. When considering apparent consumption data it’s important to realise that the average Australian is now significantly older (there are proportionately less children), taller and heavier than they were 30 years ago, so the actual “dose” of sugar per person has likely decreased even further than these crude data suggest.

..................Overall, the evidence suggests that when consumed in normal physiological doses, fructose may in fact help some people to lose weight

I don't know what to think.

High fructose consumption, higher diabetes
Nations with high-fructose corn syrup consumption have more diabetes - UPI.com

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup may be one of the factors for the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes, U.S. and British researchers suggest..................................

"High-fructose corn syrup appears to pose a serious public health problem on a global scale,"

Goran and Stanley Ulijaszek of the University of Oxford said of the 42 countries studied, the United States had the highest per-capita consumption of high-fructose corn syrup at a rate of 55 pounds per year. The second highest was Hungary, with an annual rate of 47 pounds per capita. Canada, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Argentina, South Korea, Japan and Mexico are also relatively high high-fructose corn syrup consumers.

However, Germany, Poland, Greece, Portugal, Egypt, Finland and Serbia were among the lowest high-fructose corn syrup consumers.

Countries with per-capita consumption of less than 1 pound per year included: Australia, China, Denmark, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.

[matt711]

Middle East has it's fair share as well. Depends on how much money you have, it's viewed as a sign of prosperity to be a little rotund. Just about every Iraqi that I met over the age of 40 was diabetic as well. They consume a lot of sugar in the tea they drink.

[gt350mike]

Originally Posted by look 171

I am surprise to see Canada having lower percentage then the US. I wonder why the UK has a higher percentage then the rest of Western Europe. Saudi?

Hate to pick on our brothers in arms, but from what I’ve seen the Canadian military doesn’t have a height/weight standard. The percentage of those in their military w/surplus weight is about the same with the civilian figures.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by look 171

I am surprise to see Canada having lower percentage then the US. I wonder why the UK has a higher percentage then the rest of Western Europe. Saudi?

Why is that a surprise? Any Canadian will tell you are food portions are smaller here. We eat less, in general.

[johnsjmc]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

When does it snow in Florida?

As a Canadian who wintered in Florida for several years I think it has more to do with inexpensive resturant meals than anything else. I used to gain about 5-10 lbs every winter and lose most of it when back home in Canada for the summer.
Resturants are so plentiful and inexpensive in Florida that we probably only cooked a handfull of dinners while in Florida. It was almost cheaper to eat out than go grocery shopping. I,m not talking fastfood burger joints either but actual sit down nice local resturants
In our home city there are far fewer places we like to go to eat and they are typically more expensive than comparable grocery shopping.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Why is that a surprise? Any Canadian will tell you are food portions are smaller here. We eat less, in general.

I noticed the slightly smaller portions too and they cost just as much when I visit the Great White North. This is restaurant food and not fast food. We are basic the same country, and there are plenty of junk food to go around for everyone. Why is it our that our percentage higher?